Rear view mirror



Aug l0, 1937. o. c. RlTz-woLLER 2,089,463

A REAR VIEW MIRROR Filed Feb. 27, 1956 Patented Aug. 10, 1937 PATENT OFFICE REAR VIEW MIRROR O liver C. Ritz-Woller, Chicago, Ill.

1 Claim.

1 My `invention relatesto rear View mirrors for trucks. or .automobilesandit has for its object theprovision ofanew and improved form and arrangement ofjparts `formounting a mirror and l`forsupporting itadjustably in position. It is `one of thevobjects of my'invention to provide an j improvedrform of *adjustable holding means by which armirrormaybeheld in any desired angu- `-larpositionwithin a wideA range of adjustment -without gdanger o-f the mirror being caused by jostling or vibration togchange its position, the arrangementfbeillgfsuch that the mirror may be adjusted through as small an angle as may be desired in any direction without any tendency for the mirror to return to the prior positions of adjustment.

It is another object of my invention to provide an improved arrangement of this type which can be produced and assembled very readily and cheaply, and which shall be adapted to stand up under hard usage without danger of the clamping means getting out of order or being broken by repeated clamping operations.

It is another object of my invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have accomplished my several objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawing and are hereinafter specifically described. That which I believe tobe new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the claim.

In the drawing,-

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the complete mirror equipped with my improved means;

Fig. 2 is a central horizontal section through my improved mirror as taken at line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through my mirror taken at line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of the clamping plates of my improved construction.

Referring now to the several gures of the drawing, in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, Il) indicates a forwardly dished casing member formed of sheet metal pressed intoform. In the arrangement shoWn, a plate I I also formed of sheet metal is secured in position on the front face of the casing member I0, the plate II and the Wall of the casing member Il) having openings therethrough, with a flange I 2 formed on the plate II extending through the opening in the casing member IU. In the arrangement shown, the plate II is provided with flanges I3 and I4 along its sides, with a cross flange I5 across one v 'Application February 27, 1936, Serial No. 65,985

end, and with a cross flange I6 across-the opposite end, such flanges being formed integrally with each other and integrally with the plates so `as to give the plate a maximum of strength. In

the arrangement shown, the plate IVI vis spotwelded to the casing at I'I.

My improved means for mounting the mirror in position comprises a pin or bolt I8v extending backwardly through the openings in the plate I I and the casing member ID and having a substantially spherical -head ISV-formed on its front end` so as to seat againstthe back wall of the casing comprising the wall portion reinforced by the plate II. For holding the pin in position in its seat in the plate II in any desired angular position with respect to the casing member I0, I have provided a second plate 20 also formed of sheet metal having a central opening therethrough with a forwardly extending flange 2I about the opening. For holding the plate 20 in position I have provided one end portion thereof with a lug in the form of a hook 22 adapted to extend through an opening 23 in the end flange I6 of the plate II so as to provide a pivotal connection between the plates II and 2l] at one side of the openings through the plate II and the casing member Ill. At their opposite end portions, the plate 20 is connected with the plate I I and with the adjacent portion of the casing member I Il by means of a screw-threaded bolt 24 which passes through registering openings in the several parts, being provided with a nut 25 on its forward end for tightening the plate 20 upon the forward face portion of the head I9 of the pin I8 as is shown in Fig. 2. In the arrangement shown, the nut 25 engages the flange ZI of the plate 20 so as to be held against rotation and so as to permit a tightening of the bolt by rotation of the bolt from the outside of the casing. In the arrangement shown, the plate 2U is provided with strengthening anges 26 and 2'I along its side edges and a cross flange 28 across one end, such anges being formed integrally with each other and integrally with the plate 20 for giving the plate a maximum of strength and reinforcement.

By the use of my improved arrangement, the pin I8 is capable of being held securely in any adjusted position within a wide range with respect to the casing member ID, the tightening of the plates into gripping relation to the head I9 having no tendency to deform the head, with the result that the casing member can be adjusted through as small an angle as may be desired in any direction at any time and may be held rmly in such adjusted position regardless of any prior adjustments of the parts.

In the arrangement shown, the pin I8 extends through one end of a supporting arm 29 of any approved type, being locked in position therein by means of a nut 30 as is clearly shown in Fig. 2. As is also clearly shown in said Fig. 2, in the arrangement shown a mirror 3| is secured in the casing member I0 by means of an annular ring 32 of sheet metal crimped about the edges of the mirror and the casing member il), gaskets 33 and 34 of cork or other suitable material being preferably employed between the mirror and the adjacent faces of the metal. As is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the forward end of the bolt 2li is preferably provided with a slightly enlarged head portion 35 for preventing the disconnection of the nut 25 therefrom.

By the use of my improved construction, I am enabled to produce my improved arrangement very cheaply, the parts being very readily produced in the form of stampings and being assembled with a minimum of labor and machine work. The arrangement is such that the parts are very strong and are subject to very little if any deterioration in use regardless of repeated adjustments of the mirror with respect to the supporting arm by a forcible turning of the mirror against the frictional grip of the head by the clamping plates or by repeated adjustments of the bolt 24. I have found in practice that my arrangement is very satisfactory in every way.

While I prefer to employ the form of construction as shown in my drawing, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to such arrangement except so far as the claim is so limited by its terms.

I claim 5 In a structure for mounting and supporting a mirror, the combination of a forwardly dished casing member of sheet metal having a central opening through its wall, a plate secured on the inner face of the casing member, and having an 10 opening therethrough withv a flange about the opening and extending backwardly through the opening in said casing member, and having its edge portions turned forwardly in the form of a ange about the plate for reinforcing and 15 strengthening the plate and the casing member, a pin extending backwardly through said openings and having a rounded head seating on the ange about said opening, a second plate having one end portion in the form of a hook engaging an opening through the flange of said first named plate at one end thereof, said second plate having its edge portions turned forwardly in the form of a flange extending about the plate from one side of the hook to the opposite side, said second plate having` an opening therethrough with a forwardly extending ange thereabout against which the front face portion of said head seats, and a screw threaded bolt con'- necting the end portions of said plates with said l30 

